Conferencing with Students = Communicating with Parents (part 3)

Conferencing with Students =

Communicating with Parents (part 3)

    What a difference a school year makes!  Remember the first week of August when you received your students entering the classroom for the first time?  Questions swirled around your head:  Will I be an effective teacher?  Will they LOVE learning in my classroom?  Can I build their character, self-esteem, and confidence?  What will be my challenges?  Well – we find ourselves at that time of year to “wrap it up” and we feel excited as we reflect on the outcomes.  Do our students think or feel the same way?

Teachers reflect all the time!  So how can I produce reflective students?

          As you have noticed if you’ve read my previous posts, I have focused on conferencing with students in order to facilitate student reflection and then share this  with parents.  I have used familiar tools/resources such as Renaissance Learning (Accelerated Reader) since these provide quick reports that can be used in a student conferencing session.  At our school site, our wonderful principal has created a Principal’s "Challenge" in which each grade level is challenged to gain a certain amount of reading points (through computer quizzes).  These challenges are six-weeks in length.  Incentives include an extra recess, student brag tags and an end-of-year celebration.

          This week I ran a report that informs my students their total reading points for each Principal’s Challenge.  I gave each student their personal slip in order to reflect on their reading motivation throughout the year.  Here is a picture of what this report looks like:

          Next, I used this free website  https://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/  to generate a blank graph template for students to chart their data and to set a goal for the remaining Principal’s Challenge (challenge #6).  Finally, they had to write a statement about why they chose this goal.  I made sure to make no judgments about whether their goal was too low or too high.  I left it to their discretion and overall the majority selected goals that were reasonable.  Here is an example:

          It was interesting to me that this particular student wrote: “I want this goal (30 points) because I want to get more points than any principal’s challenge points I ever had.”  It warms my heart when I read these introspective conclusions that students come to and it also motivates me to continually find other ways to facilitate goal-setting.  Of course, students take these home in order to share with their parents how they plan to keep improving their reading habits.

Student reflections will undoubtedly lead to teacher reflection.

          After I read through each reflection and goal-setting analysis, I thought about how I could help students become more voracious readers and whether goal-setting more often can help in this endeavor.  I did observe an overall trend of point decline especially after the third Principal’s Challenge.  This challenge comes right after the Winter Break and I am assuming students return from break still holding onto a “vacation” mentality especially when it comes to reading.  I am thinking of ways to  incentivize  next year’s students after this break perhaps setting goals right away after the break and more frequent progress monitoring such as reading log check-ins or offering a teacher-student lunch bunch for those students who take weekly quizzes.   

          I hope you have enjoyed these morsels of information and a small “peek” into my classroom regarding student conferencing.  May you enjoy your summer vacation and we will see you next school year!

Learning and growing along with my students!

Gus Macuil

Student Engagement with Whole Brain Teaching by Kim Reza

Student Engagement with Whole Brain Teaching

Did you give Whole Brain Teaching a try? Are you hesitant in fear of failure? Did you think to yourself, my kids would never buy into that model of teaching? I promise you, if done right, this method can work in most every setting.

“Memory is not stored in a single area of the brain but is broken apart into visual images, emotion, movement, and other sensory areas of the brain” (Willis, 2007; Wolfe, 2015).”

When I first started implementing this strategy in my classroom, I focused solely on the memorization of facts with micro teach. It wasn’t until mid-year, when my students stopped wanting to participate that I realized there was a need for strategies that increased student engagement. As I researched this problem, I found several topics to address this concern.

“I don’t love studying. I hate studying. I like learning. Learning is beautiful.” -Natalie Portman

Here are a few of the strategies I use in my classroom:

1.The scoreboard:
The scoreboard is a central feature of the Whole Brain Teacher’s classroom. It is an integral part of class management when working with younger students and is critical in keeping older students focused. It basically operates on good ole positive and negative reinforcement. It is simple to understand and use.

STEP ONE - On one side of the whiteboard draw a "Smiley face" next to a "Frowny face."

STEP TWO - Draw a line between the two faces creating a column under each face.

STEP THREE - When students are paying attention, and participating with gestures and you are happy with the way things are going put a check in the Smiley face column and have them cheer your approval by saying an enthusiastic "OH YEA" in unison (known as 'the "MIGHTY OH YEA").

STEP FOUR - When student performance/behavior is not up to par put a check under the Frowny face and have the students moan a collective "OH NO" while wiping away an imaginary tear.

STEP FIVE - At the end of class add up the checks under the respective faces. More checks in the Happy face column means the class has earned some kind of reward (I usually use the ClassDojo store as a reward) More checks under the frown face means a “negative” reinforcement (for me it is just a reminder for them to get more involved. The frowny face is consequence enough).

IMPORTANT NOTE! Do not have a total of more than three checks in in the Frowny face column in excess of the number in the Smiley face otherwise the "SCOREBOARD" loses effectiveness. Students become resentful and lose interest in the "game."

2.Kagan structures:
Quiz-Quiz- Trade, Timed Round Robin, Fan and Pick

3.Make your own movement and definition:
After students become familiar with micro teach, I release my control of leading the lesson and allow them (individually, with partners, or small groups) to come up their own definition and movement for the academic term.

If you would like to read a more in-depth piece on Whole Brain Teaching, check out this website: http://wholebrainteaching.com/

For the love of teaching,

Kimberly Reza

What Did I Sign Up For?

What Did I Sign Up For?

Last  Spring, teachers received an email about becoming a materials reviewer for the 2018 California Science Adoption.  I  read through the email and it peaked my interest, as I teach science concepts to the kindergartners at my school.  I filled out the online application, which included submitting a science lesson, and waited.   Then, in November, I received a packet that informed me that I had been appointed by the State Board of Education to serve as an Instructional Materials Reviewer.  My  duties include  4 days of training and 4 days of deliberations in  Sacramento.  Oh  yeah,  and between May 4 and  July 16, I  will  be  conducting an independent review of science  materials from 3 different publishers. Two  other colleagues from OMSD were also  appointed,  and another serves on the IQC (the Instructional Quality Commission), which will take all of  the panels' reports and actually submit the programs that have met all  of the requirements to the State Board of Education for adoption.  My part is essentially the first round of review.  The IQC's part is the second round of review, and  the school  districts have the third round of review  (selecting which approved programs to  pilot).

The democratic process is only as great as the people who participate in it.  -Jeff Miller

I  was bit  overwhelmed on that first day of training; I had to take an Oath of Office (my term expires in November, after the SBE  approves materials). I had to learn about the Bagley-Keene Opening Meeting Act of 2004,  which essentially states that all state boards and commissions conduct their meetings in public with 10 days notice, agendas, and  time for public comment.  I had to complete an ethics training course and submit a statement of economics interest form (to prove that I  do not  have any economic ties to any publishers).  My panel consists of classroom teachers and a content expert, and we are facilitated by an  employee of the California Department of Education. There are 16 panels total. I had no idea what it took for a program to get approved  for adoption!

SEPs and DCIs and CCCs...oh my!

These are some of the new acronyms I have learned while being  trained  in  NGSS (Next Generation  Science Standards).  I will be reviewing the programs to which I was assigned first for content standards (PEs-or Performance Expectations;  SEPs-Science and Engineering Practices; DCI-Disciplinary Core Ideas; and CCCs-Crosscutting Concepts). Then, I will review the programs using the Criteria for Instructional Resources Aligned to  the CA NGSS with Three-Dimensional Learning and the CA Science Framework.  During my review,  I also have to  be  cognizant of the Social  Content Standards.  I must take  copious notes  during my independent review as I will be deliberating with my panel in July.   I have  to  prove that I found  or didn't find evidence of ALL of the PEs with 3D Learning and ALL of the  Criteria in each of the programs, for  each of the  grade  levels (K-5  for  my panel).

All in all, I am excited to be a part of this democratic process.  I know this  will  also help me to improve  my  practice in the classroom as  well, as I am knee-deep  now in the CA NGSS!  Here are links  to the CA NGSS and  the California Science Framework (a 2000  page document!) if  you would like to  further your learning in science:

CA NGSS
Science Framework for California Public Schools

Happy and Positive Teaching!
Erin Grebel

Slide This into the Classroom...Google Slides That Is! (Technology)

Slide This into the Classroom...Google Slides That Is!
The end of the year is fast approaching!  If you haven’t dived into the technology pool, now is the time!  One way to do it... Google Slides! I know this may seem so basic, and I know many of you are very familiar with it and use it, so why not let your students be as familiar with it as well as you are.   Give your students the opportunity to engage and create their own Slides presentation! Make it a research project, a year in reflection piece, or an all in one classroom piece that you can show at Open House.  The possibilities are endless!
Now that we are at the end of the school year do you need fun and engaging ideas to keep the education going?   Well, Google Slides is just one of many ways to do it.  Google Slides offers many ways in which you can edit or create presentations.  You can give your students free reign and allow them to create their own from scratch or you can allow them to choose from preexisting templates that Google has already created for us.  .  Click here to see how to access those.  Or you can assign Slides of your specific liking for each student to have for themselves (assign it in Google Classroom).
Ways to use Slides in the classroom... For the past two years, I have required my students to create a “digital memory book” about their 3rd-grade year in review.  Here they discuss favorite memories, subjects, greatest accomplishments, and subjects they have learned, just to name a few. These presentations are then put on display and running during Open House. Parents love to see this and always want to have a copy of memories.   For the less advanced kiddos you can create a template for them to just type right into with their answers, and for the more advanced have students create it all on their own. Want to bump it up, even more, have students collaborate on one of the slides and type in questions or comments they have for that student to respond to. Another great way to use Slides is by requiring an end-of-the-year research presentation on anything that excites them.  It could be something they are interested in or want to know more about. This gives them the freedom to choose, take ownership, and really dive deeper into their learning.   Depending on your grade and students you can make using Slides as basic (substitution/augmentation) or high (modification/Redefinition- SAMR model) as you want to go.  Use it for any subject or any topic you find beneficial. Here I have linked a couple of examples of how I have used it with my 3rd-grade students. Writing example one, writing example two, research example one, research example two. Slides are something that our students should eventually know well.  It guides them on the road to career and college readiness as current students across the globe in high school and beyond are using this tool.  So let’s start now!                        Tech-ing with a purpose,   Tiffani Bossieux

   The End is Near

Do you remember the very first day you met your students?  How have they changed since that day? How much have they grown?

I still recall the very first day I met my class.  I remember the butterflies I felt meeting them. I wondered, will they enjoy my class?  What will we learn from each other? How much will they grow?

“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”

– Nelson Mandela

Reflection

As we get closer to the end of the school year, it is important to reflect and remember how our students started.  Some have learned quickly and grown a lot. Others took a little longer to learn and are still growing. As educators, we know no matter where our students are, you have planted a seed in their life.  You educated them, cared for them, and loved them.

I look back at all the work it took for every child in my class to be the best they can, and I am so grateful to the teachers, school staff, and families who have helped me.  I want to encourage you, with the very few days left of this school year, finish this race strong. Give your students the best of you until the last day of school!

Always Learning,

Sabrina Blackwood

Learn, Create, Share

Learn, Create, Share

As mentioned in my last blog the Seesaw app is a learning and communication tool. Not only does it enhance learning but it also boosts communication between teachers, students, and parents. Did you get the opportunity to create an account for your class?

“Can you say phenomenal?” - Online Teacher Review

Wouldn’t it be phenomenal if your students’ parents could have a daily glimpse of how their child is doing in math? What if I told you it's possible? Through this tool student’s are able to show their parents a glimpse of how they are doing in math on any given day.

We have recently introduced multiplication to 2nd graders. They love it! But imagine how much more engaged in math they could be when integrating technology!


Last week there was a math lesson with an Application Problem that read:

Sandy's toy telephone has buttons arranged in 3 columns and 4 rows. 

a. Draw a picture of Sandy's telephone. 

b. Write a repeated addition equation to show the total number of buttons on Sandy's telephone. 

c. Answer the question in a written sentence. 

So how did I integrate Seesaw with this application problem? I added it to Seesaw as an “Activity.” After discussing the application problem students solved the problem on their whiteboards, took a picture of it, and uploaded it to their Seesaw account. Once uploaded, their parent gets an alert and they can see it on their phone! If you allow for it, they can even comment! Check out one student’s result:




As you can see, Izabella, solved this problem correctly. Her family was able to see her work and just a few minutes later comment on her work: “Amazing work. Let’s keep it up.” Students love to make their parents proud!

Watch what happens when students solve an answer incorrectly. This next problem was part of an application problem that required students to add up to 3 different addends.

Wow! This student’s parent quickly reminded her son to make sure to check his work. I find this to be quite powerful! Now they are accountable to show not just their teacher, but their parents too!
This tool can also be used as proof during conferences. Instead of going through a pile of papers, go straight to this students’ profile. There it is! A digital portfolio of work throughout the year.

“Parents love that they get a glimpse of a typical day in their child's classroom. I can also capture many items and observations for students' individual portfolios. Super easy to set up, share and use daily.” Online Teacher Review

Aren’t you excited to start using this tool? Check out the following tutorial on how to Create a Seesaw Activity . Now you can easily create and share activities for your students to complete in Seesaw. I’d love to hear what activities you come up with!

Inspiring Minds,
Melissa Hernandez

Conferencing with Students = Communicating with Parents (part 2)

Conferencing With Students =

Communicating with Parents (part 2)

     What is more exciting than conferencing with a struggling reader or perhaps an English Learner and witnessing their continuous effort to become fluent readers?!  In this month’s post, I want to continue talking about how to conference with students using authentic and meaningful data in order for them to articulate this data with their parents!  

Conferencing with students should be meaningful for both teacher and student.  It is an important opportunity to create, strengthen and continue the teacher-student bond that can last for years to come!

I have made an extra effort to use the technology that our district provides such as Renaissance Learning products (Accelerated Reader) in order to meet with students about their reading habits/progress as well as convert these into an opportunity to communicate with their parents.  AR offers lots of reports and I would like to share how I use the word count report with students.  At our school, our Principal has created a “challenge” to all students.  Each grade is challenged to gain a certain amount of AR points within a six-week period.  If students achieve these points, they receive an extra recess as well as a brag tag.  The brag tags have been a great incentive this year as most students really want to collect all six Principal’s Challenge tags for the year!

Each time a student passes an AR quiz, the program adds the total word count of that particular book into the student’s record.  AR allows teachers to run reports within certain time periods to report a particular word count for that time period.  What I like to do is use an informational chart that our principal provided us a few months ago about the impact that reading has on academics.  I decided to create a worksheet (embedding this chart) in order to allow my students to reflect on how they did during the principal’s challenge and what this tells them about their reading habits.  In the video below, you can see how I conferenced with one particular student to help her reflect on her reading.  I also encouraged her to make personal goals for the next challenge.  In the end, she made certain that she would be able to share this information with her mom at home. 

Items to remember during student conferencing:

1.   Keep it simple - try to make data “kid-friendly” but don’t be afraid to use academic vocabulary when reviewing reports.  Kids get it!

2.           Keep it positive - students tend to gravitate towards the “mistakes” so become their cheerleader and their coach by celebrating their progress.

3.           Keep it brief- remember that you have a lot of students and not enough time.  Allocate just a few minutes for each conference...I usually try to keep them under 10 minutes...less is more!  

4.           Keep it reflective - it is more important to me my students understand HOW they learn instead of what they’ve learned.   Questions I try to use over and over: What does this tell you about yourself as a learner?  What goals can you set? Why?

5.           DON’T keep it to yourself - have students share their data home to share with parents.  Parents often mention to me how impressed they are to hear their child articulate details about their performance or progress.  It is exciting to receive this feedback during parent conferences or unexpected emails.

Learning and growing along with my students!

Gus Macuil

Let's Talk About... Math Notebooks!

Let's Talk About Math Notebooks! 

Our Eureka Math program has so much, but it's missing something.  Parents have asked for it, and some of us teachers miss it.  What am I referring to?  It's a student textbook!  

I tell my students all year long that since there isn't a textbook, we are writing our own in the form of a Math Notebook.  Creating one is not only simple, but I believe, necessary.  Your students will have a valuable learning tool, something concrete to reference past learning to use while doing homework or studying for tests.  And, they love it!  

I think the biggest complaint I hear from parents about math is that there isn't a book to send home with step-by-step instructions on how to solve problems within our current unit of study.  Sure, we have video links, parent letters, and student workbooks, but tell me I'm not the only one with parents asking for a textbook?!  Am I the only teacher that's missing a textbook?  The Math Notebook is the perfect solution here!  Obviously, since the shift in the math standards to Common Core, our math is less algorithm-heavy and more concept based.  However, I would argue that there is still a need for a place to record steps, pictures, thoughts, and other math "stuff" that isn't only a practice book of problems.  

This brief video collage highlights snippets of my Math notebooks, and ideas from my ELA, Science, and Social Studies notebooks over the last few years.  Yes, I save them!  And guess what, so do the students. :)  

So, let's get down to business.  What do you put in a math notebook?  Anything and everything! 

Here are some of the things the students and I put into our notebooks:

• Templates from Eureka math.  I love to glue a copy in here and tape half of a sheet protector over it.  It's a built-in whiteboard that can go with them wherever and doesn't get filled up!  
• Models and Manipulatives.  In my Eureka modules, there are lessons here and there that require us to cut up papers or use models/manipulatives.  We glue or tape in envelopes to keep these small pieces in.  Then they can reuse them at home and at school when needed.  This also works for any manipulatives you want them to have that maybe aren't referenced in the modules.  I love having fraction pieces, pattern blocks, and 2-sided counters in there.  
• Song lyrics!  Have multiplication raps to help the students learn multiplication facts?  Awesome!  Glue the lyrics in here so your students always have access to them.
• Notes from direct instruction lessons, or templates from lessons like the amazing ones Kimberly Smith Loya showed in her post HERE.   Seriously, these are amazing, go check it out if you haven't already! 
• Drawings illustrating solution strategies or concepts.  We draw in our notebooks a lot!  We glue in graph paper to draw fractions or place value charts and isometric dot paper to draw 3-D figures.  We use the lined sheets already inside for the rest.  
• Foldables from outside sources that have been carefully selected to support, remediate, or enrich the concepts being taught.  
• Recording sheets for task cards, extra work/practice sheets, a vocabulary glossary/dictionary of math terms, reference sheets, pictures of anchor charts, literally ANYTHING that will fit on the pages make a FABULOUS addition to your notebook!  

There are, of course, a few things to consider when it comes to using notebooks, and here are the most frequently asked questions when it comes to my notebooks.

Q:  What do you use for the notebook? 

A:  There are two camps of people- the spiral notebook people or the composition book people.  I am feet firmly planted in the composition book camp.  My students can't tear pages out of them (I show them what happens if they do) and I really dislike how the spirals get played with and stretched apart, creating poking hazards.  Yes, I have to shrink or cut things to fit in there, but I like the compact size of the composition book.

Q:  Do you allow the notebooks to go home? 

A:  It's always been my policy that the notebooks may leave the classroom, just like any other textbook.  They just need to come back to school each day so we can add to them.  Parents like that the books can come home so they can see what we are doing and how to help their kiddos if they need it.  

Q:  How do you manage all of the cutting and gluing?  

A:  I'm not going to lie, it's slow going at first.  Depending on my class, I do varying amounts of prep work for the notebooks.  Last year, my class was really quick about cutting and gluing.  This year?  Not so much.  So this year I do some of the cutting on the paper cutter getting things down to size or trimming the sides, etc.  That way we are just gluing.  As for adhering things to the notebooks, I use glue sticks and tape.  Again, glue seems to be a polarizing topic, and if white glue or glue sponges work for you and your class, go for it! :)  

Q:  Do you grade your notebooks? 

A:  Yes, and no.  I use it to inform participation grades and comments.  Every so often, I look through them just for relative completeness and neatness.  It's notes and learning, so I don't use it for any of the content grades.  

Q:  Do you use notebooks in other curricular areas?  

A:  YES!  In addition to my math one, I have two for ELA and one that I split between Social Studies and Science.  Snippets of these appear in the video above.  :)  As with the math one, I use things in there that come from our adopted materials, but I also add in supplemental items as well.  

I hope you have found this not only informative but that it has inspired you to give notebooking a try.  If you've never done a math notebook before, now is the perfect time to try it!  Students may have a spare spiral notebook or the back of one that's not completely full.  Try it for a week or two here at the end of the year and see what you think.  Or, use this time to plan out what it may look like for the beginning of the year.  If you're stuck, please reach out, I'm happy to help in whatever way I can!  If you already use math notebooks, I'd love to hear about it.  Share an idea or two, why you like it, or a helpful piece of advice in the comments below for those new to notebooks.  Let's help and learn from each other!   

Mathematically yours,

Sabrina Blake
sabrina.blake@omsd.net

Let's Talk About...Sprinkle Standards! by Sabrina Blake

Let's Talk About... Sprinkle Standards! 

While I wish we were talking about doughnuts, ice cream, or cupcakes, we are talking about a different kind of sprinkle: The Sprinkle Standard!  

With testing season upon us, I thought I'd address the elephant in the room.  In math, the SBAC test covers all of your grade level material, yet our adopted curriculum is a year-long program in which one or more modules are set to be taught too late for the test.  What can be done about this?  Read on for a solution.    

I 100% believe that the true purpose of teaching our standards is to lay a solid mathematics foundation and prepare the students for subsequent years of learning.  However, the reality is that test scores are kind of a big deal in our district.  Our Eureka curriculum has many positives to it, but in my opinion, the continued instruction of this year's standards all the way until the end of the year is not one of them.  How are my students supposed to feel prepared and confident with material that they will see on the test that I haven't taught yet?  Will they feel like I betrayed them somehow by sending them into that test unprepared?  I can't have that on my conscience.  So, how do you get those standards taught  before testing in a realistic manner?  Enter the Sprinkle Standards!  

"Winning is the science of being totally prepared." -George Allen

With a little backwards planning, you can sprinkle those last few standards to be taught throughout your school year and BINGO!  Your students are prepared for the SBAC! 

You'll want to go through your pacing guide and find out what is taught from about Mid-March until the end of the year.  For most grade levels 3-8, it was mostly the strands of Measurement & Data and Geometry, with some grade levels having some other stuff as well.  Click the Eureka resources button on the District Symbaloo, go to your grade level and check out the resources that are there for those standards/modules.  (If you aren't sure what this looks like, see the pictures at the bottom of the post.)  You could assign your students Khan Academy videos and practice from those standards- use as work in the computer lab or using a flipped classroom model.  The same can be done with Zearn or LearnZillion.  In grades 6-8, part of the resources shown are MARS tasks, created to be performance tasks.  But why not use them as group practice after a couple mini-lessons, or use as a whole-group activity after a mini-lesson.  These MARS tasks aren't listed as resources for grades 3-5, but I found them for you!  Click here for GRADE 3, GRADE 4, or GRADE 5.  

Here are a few other suggestions on how to sprinkle those standards in.  I love to bring in stuff that is themed to the different holidays throughout the year, or seasons if you'd prefer.  In 5th grade, I have to teach Volume and Coordinate Graphing/Geometry at the end of the year.  In mid-October, I did a quick mini-lesson on graphing in the coordinate plane.  Guess what we did at Halloween time?  And again at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine's Day?  We had a fun centers day each time and Coordinate Graphing was one of those centers.  Other centers may be my other Geometry standards or Volume, as well as review standards my students need extra practice on.  By the time we review for the SBAC, my students are very familiar with the concepts.   Where can you find the time to squeeze in Centers?  Either teach your Eureka lesson in a guided math format (see my previous posts on that- the three-part series on Intervention) and use some of the student work time as acceleration instead of intervention.  Or, maybe skip one day's Fluency and Application to substitute in the mini-lesson needed to complete some independent practice sheets at home with the support of a Khan Academy video.  

There are many ways to make it work, and the important part would just be to give it a try!  Now is the perfect time of year to start looking ahead to the next school year and figuring some of this out.   As always, if you have comments, please leave them below.  If you have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out, my email is at the bottom and I'm happy to help!  I'd love to be a part of your math journey.

Mathematically yours,

Sabrina Blake

OMSD Symbaloo Page- Look for Eureka Resources

Select your Grade Level

Look to the far right to see the Khan Academy videos and 3-Act Tasks for 5th grade or MARS Tasks for 6-8